Park Angel Leads

Fran Hummel

Special Events

Hummel will serve as co-chair for the Conservancy’s spring Teddy Bear Picnic.

Hummel is a retired elementary school teacher who moved to Charleston from Ohio in 1996. She lives in West Ashley.

• Why did you want to be a Lead Park Angel? To learn more about Charleston parks and to help my community.

• Favorite horticultural spots: There are so many it’s hard to say. I live next to the West Ashley bike and walking path so I use that every day with my dog. That’s about a 3-mile walk. Love it! One of my favorite parks is back in Ohio called Wildwood Preserve. It is a beautiful piece of land, not sure how many acres, in Toledo on the site of the 1938 Stranahan Mansion. It has beautiful walking trails and peaceful gardens to enjoy. It’s even beautiful in the winter time and the house is always very festive.

• What is one thing you’ve learned from working with the Conservancy? More about Charleston parks and great planting and growing tips from Jim (Martin) and Paul (Wentz). There are so many parks in Charleston tucked away I had never heard of.

• Favorite hour of the day/why Early morning, 5:30-6:30, before my husband wakes up and I can enjoy my coffee, plan for the day and have some quiet time.

• Best Charleston park and why: There are so many good ones. We enjoy Battery Park any time of the year with our dog. The breezes from the harbor are wonderful in the summertime.

• Favorite flower/plant: I love all wildflowers and love to plant perennials. But I have a rose bush that was given to me as a root when my mom passed away four years ago in her memory. It is called “Heaven on Earth” and every year the bush and flowers get bigger, more fragrant and more intense in color. The bush looks spectacular. It blooms from early spring through October and I cut flowers from it and share bouquets with my friends. Everyone loves the blooms and my neighbors love the bush and comment on it often. My mother was an avid gardener, and I believe she is the force behind its beauty.

• If you could inscribe something on a park bench what would it say? Better to be yourself than a poor imitation of another.

• Why should someone become a Park Angel and volunteer for the Conservancy? Because it is a wonderful organization and some of the best, most dedicated volunteers I’ve ever worked with. CPC is making a difference for families and visitors of Charleston. We live in a beautiful, vibrant city with fantastic weather that everyone can enjoy year-round in our parks. What a great way for families to reconnect and relax in nature and appreciate its beauty.